The present invention relates to a positioning mechanism for a traveling automatic maintenance unit for a textile ring spinning machine or the like, and more particularly to such a positioning mechanism that moves along the spinning stations of a ring spinning machine and automatically stops at spinning stations that are determined to require maintenance to be performed by the unit.
A traveling automatic maintenance unit of this type requires provision for movement of the unit along the spinning stations without interference and lateral movement into operating position when the unit is at a spinning station at which the maintenance function is to be performed. Because the maintenance unit must inter-relate with the components of the spinning station in performing the maintenance operation, it is necessary that the maintenance unit move into precise alignment with the spinning station components as it pivots into operating position.